Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1037369
126 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 to produce Cabernet. "Cabernet is, in my opinion, the nest wine that can be made from Paso Robles," Eberle insists. Known for its heat, Paso Robles regularly reaches triple-digit temperatures in the summer. The region's proximity to the Pacic Ocean, paired with its distinct ori - entation of canyons, causes cool maritime breezes to settle in at night: In some spots, night-time temperatures can plummet 50 degrees. These diurnal swings are particu - larly advantageous for late-ripening grapes like Cabernet, as they give them more time to fully develop. In addition to its advantageous climate, Paso Robles exhibits more than 40 soil proles predominated by calcareous shales. "They're high-pH soils, but they give you low-pH wines with beautiful, bright acidity," says Brecon Estate Winemaker Damian Grindley. A former cave explorer, Grindley previously traveled the world to make wine for other producers; when he decided to launch his own estate project, however, he settled on Paso Robles spe - cically for its soils. Fellow winemaker Eric Jensen, who owns the Paso Robles–based Booker winery, was similarly drawn to the region's terroir, explaining that he tailors his methods to address its idiosyncrasies. "The ability to uptake [nutrients] is blocked in these high-calcareous soils, so we have to wait longer to harvest our Cabernet because we're trying to balance the low pH," he says, adding that he prefers soils with more water-holding capacity. "The better Cabernet sites, to me, are the ones that have the clay on top and you don't hit that limestone for several feet . . . I'm look - ing for clay, but I can't get away from the calcareous because that's Paso. I just don't want pure white." Known in the past for producing highly limited, cult-worthy Rhône varieties and blends, Jensen has since shifted focus toward Cabernet and Bordeaux-style wines, launching the My Favorite Neighbor label in 2014. He says he contracts with numerous growers who share his vision for the project as part of a "very close partnership." "I show them what I see in the winery, then I ask them to suggest how we can get better," Jensen adds. Land Rush The Paso Robles AVA encompasses a vast 613,000 acres: an area nearly three times the size of Napa Valley. Planted acres have risen as advancements in vineyard design give producers access to higher-quality clones, rootstocks, and data to meet demand. "When we were planting back in 2001, there wasn't this type of analysis," says Niner Wine Estates owner Andy Niner, who recently planted an additional 25 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon in the Willow Creek sub-AVA. "The plantings going in this year are on the right rootstock for the soil [they're] planting into and there's a much broader clonal diversity," he explains, adding that after running an estate for 17 years, "you just inherently get smarter and the quality goes up . . . It's a combination of both experience and knowledge that's leading to the quality we have now that we didn't have ten years ago." When J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines founder Jerry Lohr sought a new site for his Bordeaux-style wines, he found he appreci - ated the avor prole indicative of Paso Robles Cabernets. The company planted its rst vineyard in the region in1988 and has emerged as one of Paso Robles' leading producers, currently farming an impressive 2,300 acres throughout the AVA. "Our experience and expertise in Paso Robles has evolved since our rst plantings in the 1980s, but has always been driven by a passion to create ageworthy yet ap - proachable Cabernets and Bordeaux vari- A couple CAB Collective cowboys: Master Sommelier Fred Dame, Global Wine Ambassador for DAOU Vineyards and Winery, and Winemaker Anthony Riboli of Riboli Family Wines.